Thoughts Please

[SevenSeasJim]

OK so I’m a big media junkie. I read the news on various websites everyday and watch various programs on TV that pertain to current events (such as Studio2 on TVO). For some time now I've shaken my head in disbelief or swore loudly at much of the news that is reported these days (mostly negative events it seems). The thread last week about the evangelical Christian's and their beliefs about the environment really pissed me off and made me sad for the future. So I guess my question is the following: Do you people think it's better to be blissfully ignorant or informed on current events but pissed off all the time? I know people that don't follow the media at all (I know that's virtually impossible these days) and they seem genuinely happier about everyday life than most. I think I'm going to try and go cold turkey from media sites on the internet and no radio and TV for a month (except for Premier League football (that's called soccer in North America)) and see what happens. Any thoughts on how others see this would be appreciated.

[Paan]

News and politics suck... I avoid both as much as possible.

[ggrtrhhrtgg]

well, I guess that depends on you... I don't want to ignore what goes on in this world, because for some "unrealistic?" reason, I think I can do something about it.

Sidenote: what team do you follow???

Me--E.P.---Liverpool

but my team is Celtic

[mark tonin]

I try to be as aware as I can without driving myself crazy. Sometimes I have to tune out for the good of my own mental health.

Peace, Mark

[SevenSeasJim]

Sidenote: what team do you follow???

Me--E.P.---Liverpool

but my team is Celtic

I watch anything when it's on, but I usually follow Man U just because they seem to get the most TV time over here.

Rooney is going to be awesome ::

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

I'm in a position - i.e. academic - where I have to stay tuned or I lose both touch with what's going on and that spark of outrage that keeps my classes alive (if, that is, I can adequately boil down and share the material). I find digging into history helps put what's going on into perspective. I mean, I'm so glad that the Cuban Missile Crisis retrospective got such big press recently - not so much in that it in any way suggested that things are much better today (they're considerably worse!), but rather that all the people at the time who were throwing up their hands at the end of the world turned out to have been wrong (by minutes, apparently, but still).

That said, I think media tune-out is perfectly healthy and advisable, unless there is some pulse that you need to stay on top of for whatever reason. When we went travelling for a few years, years back, we not only had little clue what was going on, but when we came back, we found ourselves surprisingly re-sensitised. The first Hollywood flick we opted to see (this dates me) was Pulp Fiction, and I just about lost it by the time the cardiac needle scene came up. Now I can sit through pretty much anything, but I'm not sure I'm any better off for it.

Fasting is good, if, as the Buddha sussed out, you know in your heart when to stop. Happy media fast!

(But you'd be probably well advised for the duration to click that button that blanks out all posts from me, at least!)

[aromatherapy]

Media 'fasts' can be good things, especially if you find that the daily onslaught of crappy news gets to you more than it should. A week without actively watching the news or reading the paper doesn't hurt. Often times you'll find that folks around you will inadvertantly keep you informed anyway.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

Personally I thought the Carling Cup was a great game, bitterly unlucky for Stevie G though.

As for media, stay on the fringes- i prefer this type of news source:

http://alternet.org/

[SaggyBalls]

I find it hard enough to get my own life going how i want it without the annoyances of paying attention to politics and 'world issues' (or even regional ones)

I find they don't impact me personally and i don't miss watching the news...i skim over most of the newspaper - great that some people are making a living bringing information to people but frankly it's a waste of my time.

none of these events will personally affect my well being. the issues that actually will require protest and organized resistance. i don't have the interest or energy to do that nowadays anyway.

i can't be bothered. that might make me seem 'counterproductive' but i don't really give a flying fu©k.

[scottieking]

Try. But if you are the junkie you claim to be, you won't be able to. Trust me, I know.

I, too, am a news junkie. From mainstream to alternative, the Globe to Znet, I need all angles on the news, especially international. I think it stems from my belief that I can better "predict the future" the more I know. Plus as a historian, I feel the need to try to the best of my ability to cobble together a sense of present history.

The key reason I believe this to be a futile attempt however is that once you have that curiousity, unless you distract it with something else, it will nag at you and when you get back, you'll be even more pissed off you "missed" this or that.

I know that I can do it in small doses, but it is usually while camping or cottaging (and even then, I still grab a newspaper whenever possible) I feel your disgust at the world, but like a car wreck, I just can not look away. Future generations may depend on it.

Either way, good luck.

[timouse]

i can empathize with your plight. i have gone on a number of short media fasts when it all gets too much...

i think that you can channel all the unfocused rage that the news induces into figuring out how to live your life in a way that the underlying sadness in the world has it's least impact on you.

if you feel that you can make an impact on the current state of affairs, pick up a sign (or a rock) and make yourself heard.

or say to heck with it and get away.

that's my personal hope/plan. utah phillips talks about the evil of coercive combinations. you are forced to dance with the devil every day at work, when you go shopping, when you turn on the tv, paying your taxes, dealing with cops, etc...phillips advocates getting out from under these coercive combinations and setting up voluntary combinations with like minded people, sort of a DIY government.

fwiw, me and dr evil and our wives are planning an eventual escape to the interior of bc, there's room on the bus still

hope this helps

timouse

[ggrtrhhrtgg]

ya, Davey they could really use Steven for the Champions league run.

Rooney already is great---hate them damn redevils!

[Del]

[Calamity Jane]

What he said:

i think that you can channel all the unfocused rage that the news induces into figuring out how to live your life in a way that the underlying sadness in the world has it's least impact on you.

if you feel that you can make an impact on the current state of affairs, pick up a sign (or a rock) and make yourself heard.

tim, for the stated position above, AND THE FACT THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO USE AN APOSTROPHE CORRECTLY, you & Jen will always be in our hearts and lives.

And for future reference, refer to me and Jen again as "the wives" and you may lose a ball!

you have 2, admittedly, so you decide if it's worth the risk again.

love , Deb

[timouse]

well okay then. verry sorry about referring to you as one of the [word deleted]...i'm still new at this married thing and am discovering the best use of marital language. i cherish both my balls and am unwilling to give one of them up over semantics

looks like we're going to need a bus to get everyone out to bc...

[hamilton]

What he said:

i think that you can channel all the unfocused rage that the news induces into figuring out how to live your life in a way that the underlying sadness in the world has it's least impact on you.

if you feel that you can make an impact on the current state of affairs, pick up a sign (or a rock) and make yourself heard.

tim, for the stated position above, AND THE FACT THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO USE AN APOSTROPHE CORRECTLY, you & Jen will always be in our hearts and lives.

Ummm... sarcasm, right? Because he used that apostrophe incorrectly.

[hamilton]

I think I must agree with Mr. King - it's pretty hard to stay away from it if you are a junkie, no matter how hard you try. And the further you distance yourself (either mentally or physically), the more desperately you want to know. I recall following Ontario politics far more closely when I lived abroad than I ever have living right here in Hammerland.

Furthermore, I think it is irresponsible to be ignorant of the news. You don't have to let it ruin your life, but you should at least be aware of what is happening in the world around you.

[Del]

I get my news from The Daily Show With Jon Stewart... Other than that, I really can't be bothered... I figure if it's important enough, I'll hear about it one way or the other... Not slagging those that do follow the news closely, just a personal choice...

[TimmyB]

I find it hard enough to get my own life going how i want it without the annoyances of paying attention to politics and 'world issues' (or even regional ones)

I find they don't impact me personally and i don't miss watching the news...i skim over most of the newspaper - great that some people are making a living bringing information to people but frankly it's a waste of my time.

none of these events will personally affect my well being. the issues that actually will require protest and organized resistance. i don't have the interest or energy to do that nowadays anyway.

i can't be bothered. that might make me seem 'counterproductive' but i don't really give a flying fu©k.

You're right politics and 'world issues' don't affect your well being.

How deep is your head in the sand? Can you breath?

[TimmyB]

To SevenSeasJim and your question at hand.

I have two fairly well known sayings.

First, the more you know the less you understand.

Second, ignorance is bliss.

From what I can tell from your initial thread here, you have seeked out knowledge so you fall into the first category.

Seek out knowledge and know that when things really do go wrong, as tragedy on a global scale will occur (and is occuring) in our lifetime, you can take comfort that you will be mentally prepared based on the foresight that you will have acquired because of the knowledge you have gained.

The second saying is a lie. Ignorance is not bliss. The ignorant among are the most fearful in society. You need not look further than bigots and racists in all forms. They are in a constant state of fear based on their lack of understanding.

Seek truth in all things. Pissed off on occasion you may become. But think of all the great civil rights leaders through out the ages, were they not pissed off?

It's good to be pissed off!

The ignorant may think they are happy, but they do not have a firm foundation in reality and it can easily be shaken.

It sound to me like you have already found yourself on the rock of knowledge, it is impossible to go to the sand now.

[hamilton]

Pissed off on occasion you may become.

Thanks, Yoda.

[SaggyBalls]

well it's actually quite nice down here in the sand.

it's calm, cool, and allows me enough space to read the rest of the paper and try to find a job. that's right - i have more pressing issues at hand than the news. Some of it's interesting, but it's a distraction that I don't care to bother myself with. Sorry I don't fit into your 'mould'...don't need the decay.

many of these issues don't directly affect me. they may have some sort of impact on what i will be doing in the future - but right now it's not worth the hassle.

and thinking about it, your contempt's pretty worthless too.

Blissfully yours!

[SevenSeasJim]

Some very interesting thoughts. Thanks

The second saying is a lie. Ignorance is not bliss. The ignorant among are the most fearful in society. You need not look further than bigots and racists in all forms. They are in a constant state of fear based on their lack of understanding.

TimmyB - While I see where you are coming from with that statement I guess i'm not talking about ignorant people just people that tend to ignore the media. My wife is a perfectly good example. She doesn't read the news at all yet is not an ignorant person (racist or otherwise. She's the kind of person who rescues a spider from the kitchen and lets it go outside). I suppose I am a media filter for her. If it's something big in the news (the tsunami story) I will tell her. If it's another story (they BTK serial killer is arrested) she doesn't really want to hear about that (murder and chaos in the news every day). And she is genuinely happy most days (can't be happy all the time

With that being said I also know many ignorant people who follow current events as much as I do.

[ggrtrhhrtgg]

well it's actually quite nice down here in the sand.

it's calm, cool, and allows me enough space to read the rest of the paper and try to find a job. that's right - i have more pressing issues at hand than the news. Some of it's interesting, but it's a distraction that I don't care to bother myself with. Sorry I don't fit into your 'mould'...don't need the decay.

many of these issues don't directly affect me. they may have some sort of impact on what i will be doing in the future - but right now it's not worth the hassle.

and thinking about it, your contempt's pretty worthless too.

Blissfully yours!

First, I don't want to sound like a prick for singling you out.

You say that the news doesn't directly affect you?

Newspapers are produced to inform, and to make money. If the public has interest in a specific subject, you are darn tootin sure it will be in the paper. Therefore, public opinion (to a certain extent) dictates what is in the paper. Public opinion puts pressure on politicians which in turn make decisions to keep their seat in parliament.

I know Foreign issues seem out of reach, but public pressure ultimately plays a significant role on what decisions our Government makes.

Ignorance leads to decisions made without your approval. You could argue that the only reason Bush is still President is because of ignorant voters.

Once again, I hope I am not being offensive but I find it hard to understand how people cannot give a sh!t about the world around them? We are all responsible for what goes on here. You don't have to protest to make a difference, just be an informed voter.

[SaggyBalls]

I understand the value of being an informed voter and appreciate your efforts in doing so. My votes tend to go to the underdogs. I rarely see much foresight in elected officials and that's really where my interests are - positive change that will actually improve our station.

I don't see much in the way of proactive efforts when i read the paper or watch the news. I've lost a lot of faith in politics and the media in recent years. I like what I like but the rest of it makes me turn away from the media I like because the time i spend not paying attention is generally the time that it's more availiable.

i don't miss any of it. there's so much more to life that interests me and makes me actually feel good and that's where i am these days...trying to fill my life with things that are actually worth my time. I'm just looking for some substance and depth that's sorely lacking these days.